ES400 as Windows Embedded Hand held's inaugural device, a rugged smartphone with a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7627 core, resistive VGA touchscreen, fingerprint scanner, and a trick 3.5G radio that can be user-switched between GSM and CDMA. ES400 is being pushed as a solid option for field sales and service, healthcare, and retail use.

The ES400 is a sleek, yet durable enterprise mobile computer looks a lot like one of Research In Motion's (RIM) svelte new candy-bar style Black Berrys, but slightly bulkier and more durable, the smallest and lightest Motorola EDA to date, was developed with four key points in mind: productivity; IT manageability; security; and durability.

Features:

1)The ES400 will run a new version of Microsoft's (MSFT) mobile OS called Windows Embedded Hand-held, which is based on Windows Mobile 6.5 technology. Motorola says this is advantageous for organizations because Windows Mobile is tried and true, and the OS will help to ensure legacy application compatibility, security and device management needs. (A newer version of Windows Embedded Hand-held based on Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's latest Mobile OS, will be released before the end of 2011, according to David Kelley, Microsoft Windows Embedded product unit manager.

2)Motorola's new EDA has a customizable "Motorola Enterprise User Interface" (MEUI) that lets both users and their IT administrators tailor the ES400's UI to their specific needs. So if a user or group of users constantly employs a specific application, that app can added to an on-screen task bar for quick, easy access.

3) The ES400 EDA has a 3.2 megapixel camera that functions as a scanner for reading both 1D and 2D bar codes. And a dedicated scanner button directly to the left of the device's "track pad" provides one-key push-to-scan functionality.

4) The three-inch Pen Tile touchscreen found on the ES400 is almost twice as bright as the displays found on common consumer smart phones (750 NITS), according to Motorola. But it doesn't support multi-touch. That's because many mobile workers need to be able to confirm receipt of a product or service, or completion of a task, so signature capture functionality is a must. And multi-touch screens aren't well suited for that purpose, Motorola says. (The ES400 has a built-in stylus for signature capture, which slides into one of the hand helds top corners for storage.)

5) Motorola's ES400 EDA is a "world phone," meaning it runs on Sprint's (S) 3.5G CDMA EVDO Rev. A network in the United States, but it'll also work on GSM/HSPA networks in other geographic areas. That means more 3G coverage in more places around the globe.

6) The device supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g for more, faster connectivity options, and a mobile application to enable push-to-talk, VoWi-Fi calling is expected some time next year, Motorola says.

7) The ES400 is built to take a beating while still performing at full capacity. In fact, it's built to resist dust, drops, bumps and minor weather-related damage, and it's sealed with IP42, a measure of the quality of an enclosure. The ES400 meets MIL-STD 810G drop specifications. Both of these facts mean the ES400 should last significantly longer than less fortified handhelds, which will result in significantly lower total cost of ownership, according to Motorola.

8) For additional security, the ES400 sports a biometric fingerprint-reader on its rear side, to help ensure only the appropriate parties get access to information on the device.

9) The Motorola ES400 EDA has a three-year life cycle, so IT can deploy the same device over a period of months and years without having to worry about another, upgraded model coming to market and complicating the roll-out with more handsets to manage.